"Therapy Couches in the Wild" brings new look to mental health in Minneapolis
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – As Mental Health Awareness month continues in May, one Twin Cities mental health company is doing everything it can to get in front of Minnesotans.
As part of an outreach effort, Ellie Mental Health is bringing a traditional therapy office space to public spaces throughout Minneapolis.
By Sunday, the company had already been to Walker Sculpture Garden, Lake of the Isles, and the Kingfield Farmers Market.
"We just kind of like to live authentic," said Ellie Mental Health Company Founder and CEO Erin Pash. "All are welcome, and just kind of approach everything with curiosity and just meet people where they're at."
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As part of the program, dubbed "Therapy Couches in the Wild," the company also brings mental health professionals to discuss outreach and resources to anyone interested.
Pash says despite increased mental health awareness in recent years, actual resources can be difficult to come by in some cases. In other instances, it's hard to know where to begin.
"Whether it's stigma preventing them from feeling like they can ask for help, maybe it's miseducation – they don't know what it means," Pash said. "Maybe they just don't have resources and can't find a place that covers their insurance. People don't reach out for a lot of various reasons."
The company will continue to host "in the wild" events next week, with a couch set up outside First Avenue in downtown Minneapolis Tuesday from 5-8 p.m.
"In the mental health biz, every month is mental health awareness month for us," Pash said.